


Harry's First Night in Slytherin

by cyn_ful



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Resorting, Slytherin Harry, sugar quill challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-02
Updated: 2013-10-02
Packaged: 2017-12-28 04:52:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/987890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyn_ful/pseuds/cyn_ful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was written in response to a challenge of one of the Golden Trio not being sorted into Gryffindor.  Harry ends up in Slytherin, instead of Gryffindor.  How does he react?  What secrets will he learn before the night is out?  Will he make friends in his house or will he be shunned because of who he is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Harry's First Night in Slytherin

Harry looked around the great hall. He was impressed by the candles flickering in the air. The starry night gave the room a comfortable glow.

He stared at all the people at the tables. He saw their different robes. He remembered that Ron told him that Gryffindor’s colors are red. He found that table and watched them. The students were extremely rowdy. The table with the yellow ties seemed very friendly and bubbly. He wasn’t sure if he could handle that. He had not made any friends until he met Ron. The students in blue seemed to have their heads in a book, which he thought was quite strange. He did not know why they would want to read while there was a feast. Then the last table had green. They were not deathly quiet, but they were not boisterous. They talked in hushed tones as if someone were listening to what they were saying.

Harry knew what Ron had said about Gryffindor, but he just wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to be sorted anywhere but with Ron. He turned and smiled as he saw Ron wave to his brothers. “Are you ready?”

“I’m not sure, Ron. I’m feeling a bit sick.”

“It’s got to be easy. The twins even did it.”

That is when the sorting began. One by one they were sorted. Hermione went to Ravenclaw; Neville went to Hufflepuff. “They did seem kind of nice. I knew she was a bookworm, though,” Ron whispered to Harry.

“So she went to where they are all reading?”

“Yeah, Ravenclaw.”

“Potter, Harry.” A hush filled the room. Harry felt all the eyes of all the students staring at him. He gulped as he walked slowly up to the stool and sat down.

“I see you have been giving this some thought, Mr. Potter. You took in quickly the attributes of the houses. Never fear, for they are not evil as some believe. You will do well on your way to greatness with SLYTHERIN!”

A gasp filled the air as the hat shouted. Slytherin clapped their hands, more a show of support for their newest member than for him actually being a Slytherin. 

Harry looked at Ron with a grimace. Ron’s face was shocked as he shook his head.

Harry stepped away from the stool and walked to the table where the students in green gathered. He sat down next to Malfoy. “Are you still too good for me, Potter?”

Harry shook his head.

Malfoy laughed. “Who would have ever thought the Boy-Who-Lived was a snake? Is that how you defeated him, then?”

Harry looked at him again. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Blaise Zabini was sorted last and sat down next to Harry. “So, you’re Harry Potter?”

Harry nodded but didn’t look at him.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Blaise Zabini. This is Theodore Nott. We will be your best friends for the next seven years.”

Harry glanced at him again. “You mean, you don’t hate me? You aren’t going to be a bully?”

“A bully, what gave you that idea? Malfoy, have you been filling his head with nonsense. You know we all stick together. If we don’t, then they will take us out one by one. I hope you didn’t get too close to that redhead. By the way he keeps glaring over here, I don’t think he will be friendly after today.”

“Why is that though? Why can’t you be friends with someone in another house?”

Malfoy spoke up at this point. “You are our wild card, Harry. All of us already knew we were going to be in Slytherin. We all knew before we boarded the train. Our lives have been spent together creating a united and strong front - as individuals we fall flat. The others hate us because they believe we are all evil.” He picked up his fork and took a bite of the chicken before him. “We aren’t evil, though. We just have different beliefs. We are not afraid to try something because someone thinks it is wrong.”

“First years, this way. Let’s get to the common room.” Harry stood with the other students and followed them out of the Great Hall. He saw Ron for a minute, but did not get a chance to talk to him.

Once they were safely ensconced in the common room, Professor Snape came in to give them a welcome speech. “As you all know, stick up for one another. Keep a united front. Do not let another abuse a fellow housemate; this includes any who wish to beat some sense into our new celebrity. Mr. Potter, welcome to Slytherin. I would like a word with you.”

Harry’s face turned beet red. “Yes, sir.” He did not like being singled out. He was afraid that his complete school career would be that way.

Harry followed Snape down a passage and into an office. “If you ever need anything, this is my office. Let me know.”

Harry nodded and then sat in a chair that Professor Snape indicated.  
“I was afraid that I would be given a difficult task to keep an eye on you from a distance, but as luck would have it, you are one of my Snakes. I knew your mother well. I only pray that you are more like her than your father.”

“What was she like?” he asked timidly.

Snape gave him a look. “Did your aunt never tell you about your mother?”

“No, sir. Aunt Petunia said she died in a car crash.”

“It figures that she would say that. I see that you have just turned eleven. You are a bit scrawny. Do you eat well?”

“I eat when I am allowed to.”

“When you are allowed to? My God, Tuney what did you do to this boy?” Snape put his head into his hands for a moment. “Mr. Potter, I am apparently not ready for this discussion. Tomorrow after your classes, you will meet with me and we will go to see Madam Pomfrey. She will do a health scan on you. Then we will have a talk with Dumbledore about some issues that I am sure will come up.”

Harry had turned white. “Please don’t send me to a doctor. They always get scared around me. I do strange things.”

Snape put his fingers on the bridge of his nose. “Mr. Potter, Madam Pomfrey is trained to deal with wizards unlike the Muggle doctors. Please go on to your room. We will continue this discussion later.”

Harry walked back to the common room. It was slightly louder than they were in the Great Hall. He assumed it was because they were less afraid of eavesdroppers. A few people fell silent when he came back in. “So, Potter, they didn’t demand a resort on you?”

He shook his head at the older boy that spoke to him.

“Well, in that case, welcome to Slytherin. Your room is up the stairs and to the left. Make sure you lock your trunk.”

He walked up the stairs and found his room. He looked around quietly. All the other boys were in there and seemed to be waiting for him. “It’s about time you got back. What did he want?”

“I’m not sure. I have to see him again after classes tomorrow.”

The others nodded. “Now we are going to see if you really are one of us. We must all pass the test together.”

The boys all got up and walked to the center of the room. Harry followed slowly. Blaise pulled out a snake from his trunk. “I was told that the kind to bring was a green snake,” he said to the others, and they seemed to know what he was talking about.

Harry stepped into the group and watched the secret ceremony. Starting with Blaise, he picked up the snake and looked it in the eye. The snake’s tongue came out sniffing. Blaise held a finger for the snake and it bit him. He winced at the sudden stinging pain. Harry gasped.

Blaise passed the snake on to Theo who did the same thing. One by one the boys passed the snake. Harry was the last to get it. “Hello, little snake.” He didn’t realize he began to talk to the snake, just as he did not see the look of horror on the others’ faces.

The snake stopped and gazed at him for a moment. “You are most welcome here in the dungeon, big snake.” Harry shook his head as the snake bit his finger.

In the middle of the circle the snake flew after the last bite. A cauldron had been set up and captured it. Blaise poured water over the snake and it sizzled. He then took a goblet out of his trunk and sunk it into the water. He picked it up and toasted the others silently as he took a drink.

Again, the goblet was passed from student to student. Harry took the last sip and a fire erupted underneath the cauldron, boiling away the last of the spell.

The boys were silent for a moment before turning to Harry. “You can speak to snakes?”

Draco’s voice was the loudest.

Harry gave him a funny look. “I guess so. I never thought about it before.”

“Bloody hell, no wonder you are in here with us. Maybe you are one of Salazar’s descendents. Only they have been known to carry on being a Parseltongue.”

“What’s Parseltongue?”

“That’s the snake language. If the rest of the school finds out about this, they are definitely going to think you are evil!”

“This is just what I need. I only wanted to be normal.”

Draco smirked. “Get used to it, Scarhead, you aren’t normal. You defeated a dark wizard when you were a baby. You talk to snakes. You are in Slytherin. It will be too much for them to comprehend, especially that Weasley.”

“Alright, guys, it is time for bed. Snape is going to be up here bright and early. I was warned about that one.”

The others groaned, but climbed into their beds. “So, Malfoy, what was that with the snake?”

Draco rolled onto his side and looked at Harry. “We are now blood brothers. We are united by the blood of the snake. Nothing can break this. Your enemies are our enemies. Your friends will be ours. We have your back and you have ours. Very simple, really. If we betray one of the others in our circle, then the snake bite will fester and begin to poison our bodies.” Draco smiled. “Just think of it this way. You have the security to sleep tonight knowing that not a single person in this room is out to get you. Outside of that door is a different story.”


End file.
